Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  “Laura has a new match,” Piper said, walking in with Finley. “Are you telling them about him?”

  I shook my head as Blake, Finley, and Karissa scoffed.

  “You’re letting me ramble and you didn’t mention you have someone new. Jeez, girl, you’re racking up the matches. I’m totally jealous of you,” Karissa said.

  I laughed. “I’m done waiting around for Mr. Right to show up. I’m enjoying Mr. Right Now and figuring out what I do and don’t like in a man.”

  “Good for you,” Blake said.

  Another knock on the door took Finley away.

  I shrugged. “I spent way too long pining for Nico and he’s not interested. It’s not worth my time to sit around and hope he sees me one day. I’m moving on and I will find someone else.”

  “I still think you should have told him,” Piper said. “You never know what a man is thinking. He could have been waiting for you to say something. He’s your boss, and if he asked you out, you could go after him for harassment.”

  I shook my head. “Nico is constantly dating someone else. He has a woman in Syracuse that he meets up with every time he goes there, and I’m sure he has other women around here. I’m not going to make a fool of myself and then have to work with him every day. I love my job too much to risk it.”

  “Yeah, but you love him, too,” Finley said.

  I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Hey guys.” Melody, Willow, Elise, and Trinity grabbed seats. “Did you all come together?”

  They shook their heads. Melody said, “Willow was with me, and Elise and Trinity walked up when Finley was letting us in. Just good timing.”

  “Even better timing that we can now eat the cake Laura made. It’s from the book,” Karissa told them.

  “No way,” Elise groaned. “I might need to take some of this home with me later.”

  “I’m happy to share the recipe,” I said with a wink.

  Elise nodded. “I’ll take it to Mrs. Carter and see if she wants to help me bake it. I think I’ll leave out the details of it, though.”

  “She might love that story,” Melody said with a grin.

  “I don’t know a woman alive who wouldn’t love that story,” Willow said. She nudged her sister, and they collapsed into a fit of giggles.

  It was good to see them together again. Even though Melody didn’t come to girls’ night when she and Willow were close, having Willow there definitely brought out Melody’s silly side. And it made me miss Peyton. She was the only person I’d ever known who felt like a sister to me.

  “Have you heard from Peyton lately?” Finley asked as she helped me hand out cake to everyone.

  “I was just thinking about her actually. I need to give her a call. I have some vacation time coming up. I might go visit her for a few days.”

  “How are they doing?” Blake asked.

  I nodded. “Good last we talked. Marriage seems to be a success for them. Finally.”

  “Marriage. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for marriage,” Willow said.

  “I’m with you, but Colin is wearing me down,” Elise said.

  “You’re thinking about getting married?” Finley asked her.

  Elise shrugged. “He is very persuasive.”

  The rest of us laughed.

  “Well, I think marriage is amazing,” Blake said. She met Melody’s gaze, who also nodded.

  “I agree with Blake,” Melody said.

  “You two don’t count,” Finley argued. “Neither of you is normal.”

  “None of us are normal,” Karissa argued. “Normal is a myth. We all do what works for us.”

  “Which is why you developed an app with about a thousand questions in it,” Finley said.

  “Yeah, too bad I know how to answer them to make it give me someone I think I want. I wish I could turn off my brain for a little while and get matched with someone who actually fits me,” Karissa said.

  “It’ll happen,” I assured her. “There are definitely a lot of great men on there.”

  “I never would have given Ian a chance if it hadn’t been for your app,” Blake said.

  “It gave Ramsey and me a way to reconnect,” Melody said.

  “It worked for me, too,” Elise said.

  “And me,” Trinity and Piper agreed.

  “Me, too,” Willow added.

  “Look at all these success stories,” I told her. “You should be thrilled with what you created, and trust your own process to find you someone great.”

  Karissa sighed. “You’re right. It’s amazing. Maybe I need one of you to fill out the survey for me.”

  “We can all do it,” Finley said. “Give me your phone. We’ll do it as a group.”

  “Now?” Karissa gasped.

  Finley grinned. “Right now. We’ll find you someone amazing. But you have to trust us.”

  Karissa shook her head. “I’m not ready for that yet. Maybe someone will turn up. And not be my dentist.”

  Melody snorted. “I’m not going to be able to keep a straight face next time I see Dr. Percy.”

  “I know, right?” I laughed with her. “We should not know who is on there.”

  “I didn’t tell you his screen name,” Karissa said.

  “He probably has something that he thinks is really clever, but isn’t,” Finley said. “I think he’s the master of dad jokes.”

  “I like dad jokes,” Blake said with a pout.

  “Which is good, because my brother is a master of dad jokes, too,” Finley said.

  Blake chuckled and nodded.

  “You can tell me his screen name,” Willow said. “I closed my account.”

  “Are you that sure things are going to work out with Rowan?” Melody asked.

  Willow nodded. “I am. He’s amazing. I can’t imagine meeting anyone more perfect for me. We’re moving in together. As soon as we find a place.”

  “Seriously? You didn’t tell me that,” Melody gasped.

  Willow shrugged. “I wasn’t sure if you would think it was too fast. We’ve only been dating for a few months.”

  “If you’re happy, I’m happy,” Melody said. She hugged her sister and they both laughed.

  “And she won’t try to steal your husband again,” Elise said.

  The rest of us gasped. I stared wide-eyed at Elise. She shrugged.

  “Too soon?” she asked.

  Willow and Melody exchanged a glance then both started laughing. It wasn’t long before the rest of us joined in.

  “See,” Elise said. “Someone had to say it. We were all thinking it.”

  “True,” Melody agreed. “But I really am happy for you.”

  “Thanks, Mel. I am, too,” Willow said.

  They picked up their cake and tapped forks. They both took a bite and groaned.

  “Holy shit,” Willow breathed. “If I’d have eaten this a year ago, I never would have tried to steal your husband. As long as this cake is in my life, I don’t need a man.”

  “Well, in the book we read…”

  Thank you for reading His Curvy Outcast! If you would like to know what happens to Laura and Nico, watch out for the release of His Curvy Nurse.

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  About the Author

  Mary E. Thompson spent most of her childhood wishing she had a few less curves. She hid between the pages of books because her favorite characters never cared what size her clothes were. Now, neither does Mary, and she writes stories about women like her. Real women who have curves, chase dreams, and find love, because we should all be happy, no matter what size we are.

  When Mary’s not reading or crafting stories, she’s playing with her two kids or living out her own real life romance with her amazing, curve-loving hubby. She has a weakness for chocolate and will fight you for the last peanut butter cup. Unless you trade her for a glass of wine. Then everyone can be fri
ends.

  * * *

  For even more great stuff, visit Mary’s website at:

  https://MaryEThompson.com

  Always You

  By Heather Wynter

  Always You

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Copyright © 2020 by Heather Wynter

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  1

  Jenna

  * * *

  The bus rambled down the highway. It’s worth it, she thought. I cannot spend another minute in that town. A clean break is the only way. Jenna thought of all the people she would hurt, their names running through her mind as she ticked them off the checklist one by one. Her mind raced to all the possibilities New York offered her.

  * * *

  Six Years Later

  * * *

  “Do you have a minute?” Sabrina asked, popping her head into Jenna’s office.

  Jenna swiveled to her on her office chair and nodded. “Sure, what do you need?”

  Sabrina approached her desk with a document in her hand, then put it down. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this. Follow up? Make a call? I feel like I only started this stuff yesterday, even though I’ve been at it for a while now.”

  Jenna glanced at the document. “They have already signed this document,” she said. “It should have been in the completed file. Where did you find it?”

  “Not in the file,” Sabrina said and sighed. “I’ll put it away. I don’t know how we will cope without you.”

  Jenna laughed and shook her head. “It’s not like I’m leaving the company forever. I’m just going home for a short while. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  “Aren’t you looking forward to getting some time off?” Sabrina said. “I would kill for a vacation right now.”

  She nodded, but she didn’t feel as excited as Sabrina thought she should. Sabrina didn’t miss her reaction and frowned.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Jenna hesitated before she spoke. “I don’t think I’m ready to go back.”

  Sabrina sat down in a chair opposite her desk and put the documents in her lap.

  “What do you mean you’re not ready to go back? Isn’t this where you grew up?”

  Jenna nodded. She had grown up in Smithville, Texas. But that didn’t mean she was aching to go home again. In fact, she didn’t even see it as home anymore. She had wanted to get out of there so badly. And now, after having created a new life in New York, she didn’t want to go back.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Sabrina asked.

  Not really, Jenna thought. But then she spoke anyway, her mouth moving when her mind wasn’t on board with the plan.

  “There is just so much I left behind. So much I don’t want to face.”

  Sabrina looked at Jenna for a moment before she asked, “What’s his name?”

  Jenna glanced up at Sabrina. “What makes you think it’s a relationship?”

  “Are you saying it isn’t?”

  Jenna shook her head. Sabrina had been on the mark with that one.

  “Nate.”

  “Was it serious?” Sabrina asked.

  It had been. Everything back home had been serious. But Jenna had wanted to live in the big city and make a name for herself. And Nate had been content with small town Texas. There had been no two ways about it.

  “Did you part badly?” Sabrina asked, lining up the next question before Jenna had answered the first.

  “That’s just it,” Jenna said. “We didn’t exactly part. I just…left.”

  “Without saying goodbye?” Sabrina asked.

  “What was there to say?” Jenna asked. But it was a rhetorical question. Because the answer should have been obvious. She just hadn’t known how to say goodbye to the boy that had stolen her heart. There had been a time when she had been sure she would marry her high school sweetheart. But Nate hadn’t wanted to dream big. And she hadn’t been willing to scale down. What else could she have done?

  “And you’re sure you will run into him? What if he’s not there anymore?”

  Jenna looked up at Sabrina. “You grew up in a big city,” Jenna said. “You don’t understand how it works. In places like Smithville, everyone knows everyone’s business. And if you don’t run into someone, you go looking for them because something might be up. It’s not the type of place where you can really avoid someone. And Nate wouldn’t have left. It’s the reason we are not together anymore. If he would have left it all behind, maybe we would have left together.”

  Sabrina nodded without saying anything, glancing at the document in her lap.

  “How about you try to see the silver lining?” she asked. “If you see him now and get it out of the way, it won’t be a problem again. That first time is always the worst. It will be the first time, right?”

  Jenna nodded again. Since she had left, almost 6 years ago now, she had always flown her mother out to New York if she wanted to see her. Birthdays, Christmas, they always celebrated right here where Jenna was in control of her life. It was easier than the fear evoked by even the thought of going back to Smithville. Even though she knew it hurt her mom that she never went home, she always just assumed someday she would, and apparently now is someday.

  The fact that her mother had suffered a mild heart attack meant everything was different now. And even though she told everyone she was fine living alone and carrying on by herself, Jenna knew that her mother was struggling. She couldn’t do it by herself in that large house. She couldn’t do it without someone to look after her. And Carol refused to have a live-in nurse. It made her feel old, she said.

  At some point, though, everyone got old. Jenna wanted her mom to accept that. But she knew that it wasn’t so easy to persuade her—Jenna’s headstrong character came from somewhere.

  “I wish I knew how to help,” Sabrina said.

  Jenna smiled brightly. “You just keep things afloat here for when I get back,” she said. “I will handle the rest. I am a big girl, I can handle this.”

  Sabrina nodded and left Jenna’s office with the document. As soon as she was gone, Jenna slid into her office chair. It was easy enough to put on a bright smile and pretend everything was fine. But Jenna worried about going back to Smithville. She worried about seeing Nate again. She worried about what it would do to her sanity if she went to Smithville again, the place she’d been running from her entire life.

  But there was no getting out of this now. Someone had to look after her mother, and Jenna’s sister lived overseas. There was no one else to do the job.

  So what if I run into Nate? she wondered. She would just smile politely at him, make small talk the way she used to with everyone else in the town, and be on her way. It would be the best way to handle things.

  Yes, that was it, Jenna decided. She wasn’t going to let her past drag her down.

  When it was time to leave, Jenna packed her bags. She put her empty lunchbox into her handbag and shrugged into her coat. In the lobby, Sabrina was talking to Martha, the receptionist. They both looked up when Jenna came down.

  “We’re going to miss you,” Sabrina said, walking to Jenna and giving her a hug. “Get back as soon as you can.”

  Jenna nodded. “Before you know it,” she said the way she had earlier.

  She waved at Martha and headed out the door.

  Jenna had worked hard to build herself a career the moment she had arrived in New York. Moving from Smithville to New York had been a shock—she hadn’t been used to the city, and it had taken some work to fit in. But she had started at the real estate company and worked her way out
. Now, she was one of the top real estate agents in the area and set on keeping it that way.

  If all went according to plan, she was only going to be away for a few days. All she needed to do was convince her mother that she either needed to move into a retirement facility or get someone to move in with her that would watch her health, then she could be on her way back to the bustling city.

  She definitely wasn’t going to stay in Smithville long. She wasn’t going to rekindle old connections. She was just going to get in, do her thing, and get out.

  Her mind wandered to Nate. His face flashed before her—the way the skin crinkled around his eyes when he laughed, the way he scratched his head when he was unsure. The way his dark eyes became even darker when he was angry. God, how long had it been since she had thought about him? How long had it been since he had thought about her?

  But none of that mattered. It was all in the past where it belonged. Jenna wasn’t going to allow her memories to take over. She had to focus on the plan, to get it over with.

  When she arrived at her apartment, she looked at the suitcase open on her bed. Before work, she had pulled it out and thrown in a couple of items. She had to finish packing. She was flying out to fix this first thing in the morning.

  Instead of packing, she collapsed on the bed next to the suitcase.

  “Why do you have to be so stubborn, Mom?” she asked, speaking into the empty room. “Why couldn’t you just accept the nurse or something?”

  Jenna was unhappy that she had to look back at her past because her mother was too stubborn for her own good.

  Jenna didn’t know how long she lay on the bed. By the time it was getting dark, she pushed up and walked to the kitchen on bare feet. She put on a pot of coffee and looked in the fridge to find something to eat.

  There was a box of leftover takeout from the night before. And a sad excuse for a salad that she had meant to eat because she was supposed to stay healthy. Neither of those drew her attention. Instead, she closed the fridge again and ordered pizza. She wasn’t going to cook and dirty a bunch of dishes now. It would be better if she got a pizza and left the place clean. It was a good enough argument that she convinced herself and dialed the number she always dialed when she was too lazy to cook.